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Gingerly, I step forward and try to put my arms around his neck. Even bent down, he is much taller than me. Trying to climb his back is about as easy as trying to climb Mount Everest.

“Here, give me your leg,” he commands. When I comply, he says, “Now the other. Good girl.”

As he hoists me up, my arms tighten around his neck, and I mold myself against his hard back. He stands up straight, not showing the least bit of effort. There’s not even a slight hitch to his breathing when he starts walking.

My face is up against his neck, and I breathe in the scent of wilderness and exertion. I feel guilty that he’s having to carry me, but I feel something else, too . . . A tingly, excited feeling.

Once again, I’m surrounded with thoughts of Dax and how different he is from the man I thought he was.

He didn’t have to do any of this. He said he was doing it for fun, for the adventure. He could’ve taken any vacation and had more fun than this. Instead of lounging on a beach, he’s trudging through the mountains with a female attached to his back. That can’t be what he imagined happening when he agreed to this.

How can I hate someone who is literally carrying me on his back?

Chapter 10: Santa Cruz, California

Dax

Two days ago, I stepped on the accelerator and waved goodbye to the beautiful landscape of Colorado. I’d like to think fondly of our time there, but that stop was a real shitshow.

Fifth place.

Never in my wildest imaginings did I think we’d come in fifth. There was no monetary prize; we got stuck in a cheap motel for two nights and had to eat at a buffet. A buffet! At the checkpoint, we rolled a nine on the dice, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean. Anne-Marie seemed to think we should be pleased with the number, not that she gave any sort of hint as to why a higher number is a good thing.

The only bright moment in all of that was that Jess’s ankle was given the all-clear. The show’s doctor had her rest and ice for our two nights in Colorado. Since the X-rays came out clean, she was cleared to continue with the competition.

I’ve been worried about Jess’s ankle, worried that she’s overdoing it. Our task since leaving Colorado has been to do a photo scavenger hunt. This has meant making multiple stops and walking long distances to find specific items hidden throughout various cities. We’ve kept a grueling schedule in order to make it to our next destination as fast as possible.

Neither of us wants to lose again.

It’s been rough at times. I’m functioning on little sleep, thanks to the tiny, uncomfortable cots I’ve been forced to sleep on. The first night after her injury, Jess suggested that she be allowed to have the bed to herself, claiming she was afraid I’d hit her foot by accident while asleep. Even though I had my suspicions that she was using the ankle as an excuse, I agreed.

Now, we’re rolling up to a small boutique hotel in Santa Cruz, our next checkpoint in the competition. Jess is asleep in the passenger seat, her head up against the window. I nudge her awake.

It takes her a minute to shake the sleep from her system. “Are we there?” she murmurs huskily.

She’s like a sexy little kitten as she stretches her arms as high as she can in the confines of the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice how her shirt stretches tightly over her breasts with the movement. Each day we’re together, I notice more and more about her actions and mannerisms. There are times I’m consumed with watching the little things about her.

I try to focus my eyes on the road ahead. “Yeah, turning into the hotel now. This is the checkpoint.”

“I’m so ready to be out of this car,” she says.

“Same. I’m just going to park us as close to the entrance as possible. I’m not sure exactly where we’re supposed to go once we get inside.”

We’re so intent on making it to the checkpoint as quickly as possible that neither of us pays attention to our surroundings. I pull the car under the outside awning, and Jess and I both jump out. As we jog to the hotel’s entrance, I’m pleased to notice that Jess no longer has a limp or any indication of pain.

A waiting valet holds up his hand to catch my car keys as I toss them his way. Another hotel employee holds the door open for us. We rush in and skid to a halt once inside the lobby. We immediately spot Anne-Marie, who is off to the right of the entryway. A cameraman is also there with his camera already pointed at us.

Anne-Marie claps her hands together when she sees us. “Dax and Jess, congratulations! You’ve won second place for this challenge.”

Jess’s face falls in disappointment. Damn, I feel it, too. We did the best we could on this round, so it’s hard to hear we didn’t make first place.

Anne-Marie is smiling as she hands Jess a familiar black box. It’s the same black box we’ve seen for the last two rounds. “Open it to reveal your prize.”

Jess tugs at the box until it opens. She takes out the card and skims it. A smile lights up her face. “We’ve won five thousand dollars, three nights in a studio suite at this hotel, and room service for dinner.”

“And now it’s time for you to roll your dice. Dax, would you like to roll this time?” Anne-Marie asks.

She drops the dice into my waiting hand. I shake them several times before dropping them onto the table beside Anne-Marie.